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Lions Split Twinbill With Lyndon State

3/4/2017 — AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Penn State Altoona baseball started its weeklong competition in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational on Saturday at Lake Myrtle Park. Facing Lyndon State College, the Lions lost game one 9-6 before bouncing back to win game two 6-5.

“Game one was an ugly all-around game. The three unearned runs in the top of the first set the tone for a sloppy game in which we did very few things right,” said Penn State Altoona head coach RJ Barnard. “In game two, the bats woke up a bit and we played a cleaner game. We still didn’t play our best baseball, but this early in the season, we’ll take a win any way we can get it.”

Jim Shomberg (Lansdale, PA/Methacton) led the Lions (2-4) at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double and three runs batted in. Chase Clouser (Columbus, OH/Dublin Jerome) and Trenton Ebersole (Chambersburg, PA/Chambersburg) were both 1-for-3 with a run scored.

Mike Marley (Middletown, NJ/Red Bank Catholic) got the start on the mound for the Lions and pitched four innings while allowing six earned runs and striking out six batters. Kurtis Krise (Clearfield, PA/Clearfield) tossed three scoreless innings of relief, allowing only one hit and three walks to go with one strikeout.

Lyndon State (3-4) started the game by scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Devon Rollins scored on an error, and Zak Johnson drove in two more runs with his base hit to right field.

Penn State Altoona answered in the bottom half of the first, plating two runs to cut the Knights’ lead to one. Shomberg got one run across with his RBI groundout to shortstop, and Sawyer Duffey (Waynesboro, PA/Waynesboro) came home on a wild pitch.

Lyndon State made it 4-2 in the top half of the second when Ryan Cordeiro’s fielder’s choice grounder drew one run home, but Penn State Altoona scored three in the bottom of the second to jump ahead. Hunter Goshorn (Boiling Springs, PA/Boiling Springs) scored on a wild pitch before Shomberg’s two-run single through the right side put his team ahead 5-4.

The Knights came back with three runs in the third to reclaim their lead. Johnson tied the game with his RBI single to center, and Codi Smith put his team back on top when he scored on a wild pitch. Sam Ognenoff’s sacrifice bunt brought another run home, making it 7-5.

Ben Rollins’ two-run base hit down the right field line extended Lyndon State’s lead to 9-5. Goshorn’s grounder to third plated a run for the Lions in the fifth, but Penn State Altoona was unable to gain any more ground, as the Knights grabbed the game one victory.

In game two, Penn State Altoona posted a much more well-rounded performance. The Lions totaled 12 hits while playing solid defense and getting strong pitching.

Peter Jacobs (Dix Hills, NY/Half Hollow Hills West) led the way with a 3-for-3, two RBI performance to go along with one run scored. Hunter Breon (Boiling Springs, PA/Boiling Springs) was 2-for-4.

Jared Dailey (Boalsburg, PA/State College) picked up his second win of the year on the mound for the Lions. The righty started the game and went 6 1/3 innings while limiting Lyndon State to four runs and striking out three batters. Breon tossed the final 2/3 inning in relief to get his first collegiate save.

Lyndon State drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning when Rollins scored on a throwing error. But Penn State Altoona tied the game 1-1 in the top of the third inning when Jacobs scored on a throwing error committed by the Knights.

The Lions broke through with a four-run sixth inning. Michaelis put Penn State Altoona on top when he collected an RBI and reached on an error, and Nick Rosario (Boiling Springs, PA/Boiling Springs) followed with an RBI hit of his own to make it 3-1. Jacobs’ two-run single made it 5-1, and the Lions added an important insurance run in the top half of the seventh inning when George Stiuso (Milford, NJ/Gill St. Bernard’s) came home on a throwing error.

Lyndon State made things interested in the bottom of the seventh, scoring four runs to make it a one-run game. But Breon and the Lions slammed the door shut and escaped with the win to salvage the doubleheader split.

Penn State Altoona baseball returns to the field tomorrow, Sunday, March 5 when it takes on Penn State Abington for an 11:00 a.m. doubleheader at Pat Thomas Stadium in Leesburg, Fla.

Photo: Penn State Altoona senior Jared Dailey pitches during the Lions' 6-5 win over Lyndon State College on Saturday at Lake Myrtle Park.